There’s something I’ve been reflecting on for a while now. Criticism, and where it takes us.

In the image above, I’ve shared a small time-lapse of a single character that holds a lot of meaning for me.

Over a decade ago, I was part of a site called Teripets. Some of you might not have heard of it... it was a virtual pet site with a pretty loyal following in its time. I made it my personal goal to become one of the site’s artists because I loved the world and the creativity it fostered.

When I first applied, the admin, Sunny, told me I needed more practice, but she still accepted one of my designs.. a pet called the Huggle. It was meant to be a huggable ball of fluff, loosely inspired by a kitten.

Unfortunately, the Huggle was not well received. In fact, it became something of a joke within the community. And honestly? I understood why. It wasn’t up to par with the site’s existing art. But Sunny saw something in me.. potential, maybe. With her encouragement and the feedback from the community, I pushed myself to improve. I studied what wasn’t working, redrew the Huggle, and came back with a new version that was much more positively received.

That process—the critique, the iteration, the growth was empowering. During my two years with Teripets, I learned more than I ever had before or since. The artist team there was filled with talented, generous individuals who believed in helping each other grow. Critique was expected, even required, before any pet design could go live. Redlines, constructive comments, ideas—these were all normal parts of the workflow. It was one of the best artistic environments I’ve ever experienced.

But when the site eventually shut down, it also took that vital support system with it.

These days, I’ve noticed a shift in the online art community.. especially on sites like FA. And please don’t take this as an attack, because it’s not meant as one.. but honest critique has become rare. There’s a kind of unspoken fear around giving feedback. Fanbases are quick to jump to an artist’s defense, and some artists react aggressively when flaws are pointed out. This has created an environment where people are hesitant to say anything critical... even when it could help.

I thrive with constructive pressure and support. I want to improve. The piece I created in 2020? I’m proud of it. But I can’t help but wonder how much better it could’ve been if I’d had the same feedback rich environment I had from 2006 to 2008. With consistent critique from peers, could I be a god-tier artist by now?

So if you ever see something off in my work, even a little thing, tell me. I may not be able to fix it right away, but I’ll take it to heart. I’ll carry it into the next piece. Because I want to get better, and I know that more eyes can see more than just mine.

Thank you for listening to my little rant.